Lonely
by vampboy
Summary: A lonely night.


Remus watched James and Sirius chase each other around the common room Perhaps it was a normal afternoon to them, but to Remus it was something else. With tonight came the full moon. It marked his first transformation in two years without his friends. Snape was getting too close, so they decided to not risk it tonight. This made Remus nervous because he didn't want to be alone. He had been alone for too much of his life already.

"Oi, Moony! Wotcher!" Remus looked up to see Sirius about an inch from his face.

"Padfoot! You nearly scared the life out of him," James said knocking Sirius out of the way.

"No I'm fine-"

"Out of my way," Sirius insisted. "Are you okay mate?"

"I'd be a lot better if you two weren't coddling me," Remus snapped. They had been bothering him since yesterday when they had made the decision.

"We're worried about our ickle wolfiekins." Sirius smiled.

"Padfoot, if you don't back off, Remy might make you eat those words," James warned.

"It _is _that time of the month," Sirius reasoned, putting his hand on his chin.

"Don't you have something to do?"

"Not until Snivelly tries to sneak down to the kitchen at nine," Sirius snarled. Remus always wondered about Sirius' information network but never questioned it. He had a feeling he just didn't want to know.

"What are we doing to him this time?" Peter asked from his position of staring at Lily Evans. He'd developed a habit of it recently, and James was starting to get annoyed. Not thathe and Lily were dating, but every other person in the school had picked up on his Lily.

"You're just being a watchman. James and I have to do all the work," Sirius said as if it were work and not his own mischief.

"Why do I always have to watch?" Peter whined, turning around in his chair again. Remus noticed that people had begun to file back into the common room from dinner. He wished Peter would learn discretion, not for the first time either. Peter always talked too loud.

"'Cause you are smaller than us, make loud squeaks, and are otherwise unnoticeable," Sirius said reasonably.

"What do you mean 'squeaks'?" Lily asked from behind Sirius. James and Remus hadn't even noticed her walking up. She was really shifty sometimes.

"Hey Evans," Sirius said. He used his most seductive smile.

"What are you talking about?" she asked again. She had suspected they were up to more than just the common misdeeds for a while now. Something illegal was going on.

"Squirrels. We suspect Peter's tranfigured from one," Sirius crooned.

"He likes nuts-"

"And he spends a lot of time in trees-"

"I like doing this," Peter said and held his arms up and nibbled.

"He makes funny noises," Sirius told her. "Particularly at night, in bed, alone...."

"Dun, dun, dun," James and Remus added the musical sting.

"Arrogant prats," she muttered.

"You know you love it," James boasted.

"You wish," Lily growled. She moved closer to him until their noses were barely touching. Her green eyes were slanted.

"I can just feel the love between you two," Sirius grinned, then put his arms around both of them. "I give my full blessings." Lily and James pushed him away a bit harder than necessary. He tripped and fell. Everyone in the common room laughed as he got up off the floor and smiled.

"I think I hit a nerve" he smiled. Remus noted the slight hint of malice in his voice.

"Nope. I just wondered if you were dumb enough to trip over the footstool," James laughed, regaining his composure. "Evans simply hates you. Isn't that right Evans?"

"Shut it, prat," she snarled and left.

"Must be that time of the month," Sirius said.

"Damn. I was hoping to get lucky tonight."

"Guess you'll have to settle for the pillow again?" Sirius said.

"Good thing I nicked yours then?" James laughed.

"Not Rosemerta?" Sirius screamed and began to chase him.

Remus went back to reading after sighing and shaking his head.

Remus took the sleeping draft Madam Pomfrey offered him. It wasn't very strong but it was strong enough to calm him down without any ill effects. It wasn't always reliable. Madam Pomfrey handed him his dinner, and he sat down to eat before it was time to go. It was best to face these things on a full stomach.

Lily stared at the note.

_L. Evans,_

_If you would like to find out what J. Potter, R. Lupin, S. Black and P. Pettigrew are up to, please go to the Shrieking Shack at 9 P.M._

_Use the passage behind the mirror on the fourth floor near the transfiguration classroom. Just use the 'Alohamora' spell on it and it will open to reveal a staircase. Take it to the tree on Figg Street in Hogsmeade. You won't be disappointed._

The note was signed 'A friend'. Somehow Lily doubted that the note's sender was an actual friend but still... Her roommates had been bothering her lately. Their voices came back to her as she pondered it.

_"Lily and James sitting in a tree," Stephanie chanted along with Hestia, Nicolette, and Jennifer._

_"I don't like that Potter prat!" Lily yelled. _

_"Is that why you're blushing?" Hestia asked._

Just thinking about it made Lily infuriated again. They had ended up fighting all night. This was her chance to prove them wrong. If she turned James and his little friends in, that would prove that she didn't like them. Was it worth the risk though? Maybe she should just report it to Dumbledore or McGonagall, the new house head, but what was there to report? A note from some mysterious benefactor? What if there was nothing to the note? How would she feel if she told Dumbledore, and he sent teachers or even went himself and then there was nothing to it but some prank? There was even a chance James had sent the note himself and was just trying to get her alone.

"Wotcher! What's that? A love note from Jamesy-poo?" Hestia asked. Lily hadn't heard her come in.

"No!" Lily felt herself blushing.

"Oh really?" Hestia asked.

"Yeah," Lily confirmed and made up her mind.

James and Sirius were stretched out on a loveseat in the common room. It was half past eight, and they were bored. Normally full moons meant a long night of no sleep and fun, but this time it meant pure boredom except for the whole Snivellus/Banana cream pie incident. That wasn't scheduled for half an hour though.

"James." Sirius got no reply. "James!" He then pulled one of his legs out from under James and kicked him.

"What is it?" James murmured.

"Where's Wormtail?" Sirius asked. James didn't answer. Sirius kicked him again.

"I dunno. What time is it?" James asked forcing his head into the armrest.

"Half past," Sirius said then kicked James again.

"Ouch! What the bloody hell was that for?" James exclaimed.

"You're an easy target," Sirius shrugged closing his eyes.

"Easy target this!" James shouted kicking Sirius back.

After a few minutes of scuffling Peter ran in. "James! Sirius! Come quick!" he panted.

"Peter? Where have you been?" James asked, pulling out of Sirius's headlock and punching him in the ribs.

"We've been worried sick abut you mate," Sirius groaned.

Peter leaned and began whispering near James's ear. James dropped Sirius on the floor.

"What's wrong?" Sirius asked. James whispered something in his ear.

"I'll get your cloak. Be down in the hall in five. Meet you there." Sirius started toward the dorm.

"Peter, scout ahead," James said in an undertone.

"So Marietta told you that she went to the shrieking shack?" James asked as he threw the invisibility cloak over himself and Sirius.

Peter squeaked a reply.

"Are you sure?" Sirius asked.

Peter squeaked again.

"You ever consider un-transforming?" Sirius asked sarcastically. "A real improvement on conversations. Maybe then you'll get a girl."

"Shut it," James snapped, rushing across the grounds quicker than he should have been. He tripped over the edge of his cloak and rolled out from underneath it and rolled head first into a tree stump.

"James!" Sirius shouted. He hopped down the hill and grabbed James shoulders. "Wake up man!"

"I'm fine," James muttered. "What the bloody hell happened?" He asked and rubbed the bloody spot on his forehead.

"You tripped down a hill," Sirius said sounding slightly relieved.

"Are you okay?" added Peter.

"Great," James said as blood flowed from his forehead. "Let's go find Evans."

"Yeah right mate," Sirius told him. "You're bleeding like a stuck pig. You're going to the hospital wing."

"Let's save Lily first," grunted James. He glanced around for his glasses.

"Right here mate," Sirius said. "But they're busted. We better head up to the school and have them fixed."

"Padfoot," James warned.

"Damn." Sirius drew his wand. "_Reparo_."

"Thanks." James threw them on. "Let's go."

"_Alohamora_," Lily whispered as she tapped the glass. It shined for a second but nothing else happened. She leaned forward and put her hand up against the glass. She let out a slight noise of mixed shock and relief as the glass gave way to her probing hand. "No going back now," she assured herself aloud then stepped forward into the mirror. '_Through the looking glass_,' popped through her mind as she stepped into it. She placed her foot where she assumed the first step would be but missed. "Ouch!" she cried as she fell onto each step. She stood up from the bottom of the stairs and bumped her head on the low ceiling. She glanced around and was graciously surprised to find that the way was lit up by little globes hanging from the ceiling. She checked to make sure her wand was unbroken then headed forward.

R/N: Review. Special thanks to Anna Black. World's greatest (and possibly slowest) beta


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